# Controversial encounters between law-enforcement and civilians - the omnibus thread #2 **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 23, 2020, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread-2/912531 "2020-06-23T20:29:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 152
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2022, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread-2/912531/3028 "2022-11-25T05:33:42Z")
This seems a bit odd for very liberal San Francisco: > **[San Francisco police propose using robots capable of ‘deadly force’](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/nov/24/san-francisco-police-propose-using-robots-capable-of-deadly-force)** > > City’s board of supervisors to consider proposal involving remote-controlled devices ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2022, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread-2/912531/3029 "2022-11-25T16:29:19Z")
They are considering a proposal from the police department. The police department claims that “use of force” by robots would only be a last resort to save police or civilian lives. The robots already exist for other duties (bomb disposal, etc.). The police have no particular plans for use of force by robots. It’s that last sentence that disturbs me – no plans, no safeguards, no accountability? Those are the critical factors. Re: liberal San Francisco – considering our cost of living, we have a lot of entitled rich and newly-rich people here (minus some recently unemployed at Twitter) whose liberality stops short of allowing criminals to get away with any of their belongings. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2022, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread-2/912531/3030 "2022-11-25T20:49:46Z")
“Gentlemen. It gives me great pleasure to introduce you to the future of law enforcement” [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/ZFvqDaFpXeM/maxresdefault.jpg "RoboCop: Director's Cut | REMASTERED - ED-209 Malfunction Scene (1080p)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFvqDaFpXeM) ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2022, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread-2/912531/3031 "2022-11-25T22:36:17Z")
We all understand that these are, basically, RC cars with a gun bolted to them and not autonomous ‘Johnny 5 having a bad day’ murder bots, right? ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2022, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread-2/912531/3032 "2022-11-25T23:03:29Z")
But it is the first step… ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2022, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread-2/912531/3033 "2022-11-25T23:10:09Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > This seems a bit odd for very liberal San Francisco: > > [San Francisco police propose using robots capable of ‘deadly force’ | San Francisco | The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/nov/24/san-francisco-police-propose-using-robots-capable-of-deadly-force) …is this sarcasm, or were you just unaware of how bad the San Francisco police are? ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2022, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread-2/912531/3034 "2022-11-25T23:15:37Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > But it is the first step… Ahh, yes, steps! One might hope they are planning future murder bots with the ability to navigate typical human architecture . . . and not Daleks. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2022, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread-2/912531/3035 "2022-11-25T23:55:19Z")
I know the terms are often conflated, but there’s a world of difference between a remote-controlled device and a robot. Remote-controlled weapons might be a bad idea, but for reasons unrelated to the possibility of armed robots. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2022, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread-2/912531/3036 "2022-11-26T00:43:36Z")
> [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > how bad the San Francisco police are How bad do you think they are, and based on what information? ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2022, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread-2/912531/3037 "2022-11-26T00:55:09Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > How bad do you think they are, and based on what information? …they had a clearance rate of 3% in reported thefts. An overall clearence rate of 8.1: the lowest in a decade. They were part of the campaign to get rid of the DA because of initiatives like this: > **[Why Cops Are Finally Getting Indicted in San Francisco](https://www.vice.com/en/article/wx8xvb/chesa-boudin-district-attorney-san-francisco-charging-police)** > > Before Chesa Boudin took office, San Francisco had never charged a police officer in the severe injury or death of a civilian.  They stopped enforcing laws until they finally got him out of office. > **[The case for recalling DA Chesa Boudin: There isn't one. But that hardly...](https://missionlocal.org/2022/05/the-case-for-recalling-da-chesa-boudin-there-isnt-one-it-hardly-matters/)** > > Chesa Boudin is a man in desperate need of victories and, earlier this month, he got one. Incongruously, a U-Haul was involved.  The embattled District They are an objectively bad police department that barely solves crime. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2022, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread-2/912531/3038 "2022-11-26T23:04:14Z")
If you have robots or RC devices capable of tooling around and offing people, one of my biggest concerns would be: how secure is their lethal equipment? I mean, if they can simply roll over/cudgel the BGDJ (bad guys _du jour_), that is one thing, but if they have, like, guns, that shit is going to get lifted. Not might, will. ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2022, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread-2/912531/3039 "2022-11-27T18:10:44Z")
Wow. You’d think after the blowback from the Dan White case they’d have cleaned up their act. I guess now that they can’t go thump skulls in the Castro as their nightly entertainment, they just aren’t interested in doing the job. ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2022, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread-2/912531/3040 "2022-11-27T18:13:31Z")
Especially as there are so many non-lethals (e.g. tasers, gas, restraint devices) that a robot can use and there’s not much the criminal can do, unless they’re carrying a bazooka. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2022, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread-2/912531/3041 "2022-11-28T16:22:34Z")
[https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/cop-killed-in-shootout-after-police-say-he-catfished-california-girl-killed-her-family/ar-AA14E6uS?cvid=240f3fb2640640099cd772a1eab7fb83](https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/cop-killed-in-shootout-after-police-say-he-catfished-california-girl-killed-her-family/ar-AA14E6uS?cvid=240f3fb2640640099cd772a1eab7fb83) > Officials said Edwards previously worked for the Virginia State Police as well as the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. Much like the Golden State Killer, worked for 2 Law Enforcement agencies before murdering people. > “This is yet another horrific reminder of the predators existing online who prey on our children," Riverside Police Chief Larry Gonzalez said. "If you’ve already had a conversation with your kids on how to be safe online and on social media, have it again. If not, start it now to better protect them.” And if they suspect something, call the po…uh…call _someone_. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2022, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread-2/912531/3042 "2022-11-29T01:42:34Z")
> **[5 officers charged after Black man paralyzed in police van](https://apnews.com/article/connecticut-new-haven-reckless-endangerment-freddie-gray-2d3bd9636369e1dfcf092eaf400bfce8)** > > NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) — Five Connecticut police officers were charged Monday with cruelly neglecting a Black man after he was partially paralyzed in the back of a police van, despite his repeated and desperate pleas for help. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2022, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread-2/912531/3043 "2022-11-29T17:01:14Z")
Didn’t Baltimore get exposed for this shit? A van that wasn’t so much a transport but a way to brutalize someone, like in Death Proof? ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2022, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread-2/912531/3044 "2022-11-29T17:15:39Z")
Yes, I remember the Baltimore situation. They had done it repeatedly there, and I am guessing that it happens in other places as well. It is one of those things that the perpetrators need to, IMO, experience what they did to the victims first hand. ---
**Author:** ![duality72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duality72/32/3910_2.png) [@duality72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duality72)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2022, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread-2/912531/3045 "2022-12-01T03:18:36Z")
And the robotic use of deadly force has been approved. > **[Supes approve killer robots, 8-3 - 48 hills](https://48hills.org/2022/11/supes-approve-killer-robots-8-3/)** > > With the national press watching, even progressives vote for a disturbing escalation in police power. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2022, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread-2/912531/3046 "2022-12-03T16:01:33Z")
> **['He did nothing wrong': Family of Texas entrepreneur fatally shot by police...](https://news.yahoo.com/did-nothing-wrong-family-texas-010657174.html)** > > A tech entrepreneur in Texas wasn’t given ample time to drop a rifle he was carrying on his own front porch, his family told NBC News in an exclusive interview. Good guy with a gun only applies to white people. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2022, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread-2/912531/3047 "2022-12-03T16:03:52Z")
This sort of reminds me of the Alec Baldwin Rust movie shooting: > **[Sansom Park Officer Moved Out of ICU After Being Shot in the Face During...](https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/sansom-park-officer-shot-during-training-at-elementary-school/3116100/)** > > A Sansom Park police officer was shot in the head during an active shooting training course at a local elementary school. > **[Contract Suspended for Forest Hill Police, Private Instructor After Officer...](https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/contract-suspended-for-forest-hill-police-private-instructor-after-officer-shot-in-face-during-training/3122372/)** > > Thursday afternoon the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement said it had suspended the training contract of the Forest Hill Police Department and a private instructor after a Sansom Park Police officer was shot in the face during a training exercise... [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread-2/912531.md?page=151) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread-2/912531.md?page=153)